Kate Bressey

So hello everyone, I keep meaning to blog but then Andy will blog something really deep and profound and I feel that my inane ramblings can’t really match up so I decide against it.  But today I have bitten the bullet so here we are…

Is anyone watching One Born Every Minute? For those who haven’t seen the incessant trailers on C4, it’s a fly-on-the-wall documentary about Southampton Maternity Unit. And midwives don’t come off very well. In fact, they’re barely seen at all. I’m not sure if that’s editing or the reality of that unit but still, it’s worrying quite a lot of the women I’ve seen recently. And so, here’s a tip for those of you who might be considering having babies in the future – and it’s something Sian and Andy already know – have a home birth, it’s the only way to guarantee the undivided attention of a midwife.

I find it interesting how few people realise this.

I was lucky enough to be at a lovely homebirth recently. Mum was sat on the loo as she gave birth. Luckily I caught the baby and it gives her a funny story to tell everyone. Unfortunately she didn’t call the baby Louis. But she did look a little flushed. (I’m here all week…)

Actually, I’m not – I’m off Oop North tomorrow to visit Isaac and his parents. I’m hoping he’s feeling particuarly photogenic as I have a new camera that I want to practice with – it has a touch screen and everything.

In married life news, we’re decorating our bedroom – Neil is going to undertake his first wallpapering – any hints or tips gratefully received.

This is a not-very-good picture of Isaac. I like him.

This is a good picture of Sam (I didn't take it). I like him. (For those who don't know - he's my nephew too).

This post is really just for me to play around with putting pictures on but I thought I would say a few words about Christmas decorations. We put ours up yesterday and I’m most excited about our wooden nativity set – this is because we have hidden the baby Jesus which is a Yardley tradition. He will arrive on Christmas morning. At least, I hope he will because he brings the presents. (That’s right isn’t it?).

In other news interesting to no-one except me – our fridge has broken which has meant we have had to ask for one of our Christmas presents early which was a little embarrassing but better than food poisoning I think.
Also, my new car has arrived which means I am edging out of side roads and parking reeeally slowly like an old lady. I’m sure the people of Exeter are not at all annoyed by this.

So, in my first post I promised a bit of midwifery and some tales from married life and I haven’t delivered either so here I am to rectify that.
In midwifery news – I was given a bunch of flowers today )
They were from a lady I looked after antenatally, during her waterbirth and postnatally. This makes me think that continuity of care is not just good for the women, it’s good for the midwife too! (and actually, I would think this without the flowers as well because this lady was just a privilege to look after).
And in married life news – our shower has broken. This is unfortunate for 2 reasons:
- Our water meter was fitted this week so we now pay for the amount of water we use. This has risen dramatically because I’m having to have a bath everyday.
- More importantly, the new shower is proving to be a pain in the bum to fit leaving Neil scowling and grumping from the bathroom to the internet and back in repeated efforts to fix it.
He did however make me a lovely roast dinner last night so it’s not all bad…

…eight.
And so probably fighting with my sister and being tormented by my brothers whilst wearing the most hideous glasses known to man. If I was remotely computer literate I would add a picture to prove this to you. Perhaps Andy could let me know how to do this – I like to be able to illustrate things.

I’d also just like to say that, having spent quite a bit of time with Isaac over the past couple of weeks, I could totally, definitely be him – I’d love to go to bed at 7.30…

…I would rather be…

So, I have been pondering this for a day or two and have veered from my Mum (great at baking and retired so doesn’t have to get up early) to Denis Walsh (one of my heroes of the midwifery world and a very knowledgeable man) but have finally settled on Isaac.

The reasons for this are manifold:

- He has great hair.
- He’s super cute.
- He’s almost always happy and if he’s not, the problem is usually very solvable.
- Neil thinks the absolute world of him.

In fact, I think the only bad thing about being Isaac is having to live Oop North…

So, it’s 3:30am and I’m at work so I felt it was just the right time to contribute to the latest round of the blogenge. (I wouldn’t want you guys to be thinking that us midwives sit around doing nothing on night shifts – I am also holding a baby whilst I type).

So here goes:
Opening Credits – The First Cut is the Deepest (after all I was a Caesarean Baby…)
Love Scene – Anna Begins by Counting Crows because it is just quite simply one of the best love songs ever written.
Fight Scene – Everybody was Kung-Fu Fighting. When you have a husband who is a black belt in an obscure martial art it just seems right that the movie should feature Kung-Fu type fighting rather than your bog standard punch up.
Death Scene – Last Request by Paolo Nutini. Obviously.
Closing Credits – Closing Time by Semisonic just because it’s always a nice way to round things off.

Yes, I have decided to jump on the bandwagon too – anything Sian can do, I can do better…
For those of you who don’t know – I’m Sian’s ‘little’ sister, newly married (so not a Yardley anymore but Andy’s working on that…) and I’m a midwife.
So maybe they’ll be some interesting blogs about married life or childbearing but I think it’s more likely that I’ll stick to incoherent rambling, it’s more my style.

Kate will be here soon…